PLGA-PEG-Mal from PolySciTech used for development of prostate cancer targeting nanoparticle as part of drug-delivery system

PolySciTech division of Akina, Inc. (www.polyscitech.com) provides a wide array of biodegradable polymers including diblock PEG-PLGA and reactive Maleimide-PEG-PLGA. Recently, researchers at Albany utilized polymers from PolySciTech to develop anti-CD24 conjugated nanoparticles. CD24 is overexpressed in almost 70% of all human cancers (Nature Communications 6, Article number: 5909 doi:10.1038/ncomms6909) which makes it an attractive target for drug delivery. Docetaxel, an anti-mitotic chemotherapy agent, is well established for having good efficacy against cancer cells. By developing a system which targets docetaxel loaded nanoparticles to cancer, the researchers were able to shrink tumors in the mouse model relative to control. This research holds promise for improved chemotherapeutic strategies to treat cancer effectively while minimalizing side effects. Read more: Bharali, Dhruba J., Thangirala Sudha, Huadong Cui, Badar M. Mian, and Shaker A. Mousa. "Anti-CD24 Nano-targeted Delivery of Docetaxel for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer." Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine (2016). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1549963416301290